February 16, 2026
As artificial intelligence continues to redefine—and upend—so many aspects of our human experience, the finest minds in Catholic education are banding together, once again, to light a principled path through technology uncertainty.
In June, the University of Portland (UP) will host its second national AI conference for faculty, staff, administrators, and religious affiliates. Registration will open soon for Catholic Education and Artificial Intelligence: Principled Educational Leadership for the AI Revolution—set for June 3-5 on the scenic UP campus.
Led by the University’s AI-forward College of Arts and Sciences and the Dundon-Berchtold Institute for Moral Formation and Applied Ethics, this three-day conference aims to build on what participants from 19 Catholic institutions learned at the first UP-hosted AI conference in October 2024.
Featured conference speakers in June include UP alumnus Clare Duffy ’17, a tech reporter and podcast host who covers artificial intelligence for CNN Business, and two headliners from the 2024 conference— Fr. Philip Larrey, PhD, Catholic priest and professor of philosophy at Boston College, and Irina Raicu, JD, MA, Director of the Internet Ethics Program at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.
Observing how AI advancements continue to rapidly transform the academic landscape, organizers plan to take the 2026 conference “from principles to practice” by emphasizing interactive workshops and specialized learning tracks. Catholic education leaders will delve into rapid developments that include:
Valerie Banschbach, PhD, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, says that compared to the exploratory nature of the 2024 conference, the follow-up gathering on the UP campus in June will serve as a “call to action” for faculty, administrators, religious, and industry leaders.
“We aim to create a space where educators from Catholic institutions can share and develop strategies for responding to an uncertain future of work shaped by AI,” said Dr. Banschbach. “Catholic institutions must lead the way if we are to create a world where our students have agency – both personal agency and ability to shape a positive future for humanity.”
Among the new elements of the 2026 conference: Specialized sessions tagged for leaders in student affairs and campus life, administration, campus ministry and clergy, student leaders, and faculty who teach business, economics, engineering, technology, and health.
For more information and to register for the June 3-5 conference, visit the event page. For event sponsorship opportunities, Contact Erica Vince at vince@up.edu.
For interested faculty, the June 3-5 AI conference precedes Collegium’s Annual Colloquy, which will take place on the UP campus June 5-12.University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
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